Nightfall:Audience With the Arbiter
July 30th ??:?? AM Unknown Location Yuri is suddenly standing in a large, dark, room. Like a huge hall, built from dark grey stone. Pillars, etched with strange markings, line the hall. The ceiling is high, at least fifty feet up, and long silver-gold curtains hang, slowly moving and shimmering in the dimly lit space. A male voice echoes through the large stone hall. The tone is candid, but well spoken, and it has a very slight distortion within the words. It's obviously not human. It never ends, does it? Yuri: He looks around the dimly lit hallway and tries to remember how he got here but everything from before is a blur. ...What? He looks and sounds disoriented. Anduscias: The voice comes from behind him, a light suddenly illuminating the long hall. I am Anduscias. As Yuri turns to look in the direction of the voice he sees a tall man, dressed in a simple robe, standing before a large stone throne. A silvery halo radiates from behind his head, and pair of large silvery-gold feathered wings are spread from his back, and they glow angelically, as if light from the sun where passing through them. His hair is a very light blonde, his eyes a dull orange-yellow color, and his skin seemingly tanned. Behind him is a large vertical window, through which a sky full of white stars twinkle, and a huge red planet sits among them, far into the distance. Your brother told me to wait for him to be present when I spoke with you, but I felt it better that I should contact you alone. Perhaps that way we could speak more honestly. Yuri: Nemo...? He shakes his head as he tries to figure out what's going on. What did you say your name was?... Anduscias: Anduscias. I suppose it's normal for you to be disoriented. He stares across the large room to Yuri. Your brother and I have entered into a contract. I can see now that he has not told you. Yuri: He quietly speaks to himself. ...He said he wouldn't do that again. He suddenly stands up and backs away from him. Why would he want a demon to talk to me? Anduscias: Your brother and I came to agreement. I would bolster what power he had, in an effort to help you, and in return he would join me here, in The Kingdom, upon his death. He looks Yuri up and down slightly. It was I who smashed the seal, and freed you from your nightmare. Yuri: He looks more annoyed than doubtful. He sold his soul to save me... that can't be right. Anduscias: You seem confused about the inevitable fate you, and all other Marked Ones share. He holds his hands out to his sides and his glowing wings spread wide. You are Marked. Where do you think you will go when you die? Where do you think your brothers will go? He points up with his right hand as he lets the left fall to his side slowly. There? He shakes his head. Yuri: He looks to the side, more annoyed by his attitude now. Just tell me what you want. He looks back at him. Anduscias: Before the fall, I was one of three Arbiters... When a mortal's life would end, its heart would be given to us. My eldest brother would weigh it against the mandates of God, on a golden scale, that shimmered like the sun... He says it almost fondly, and his eyes glow a bright gold for a moment before fading back to normal, and his tone quickly changes back to the calmness it has been. Should the heart be found lighter than God's laws, pure, it would be passed to my younger brother and he would take it with him to be with God. However, should the heart be heavy, tainted, it was passed to me... I was tasked with casting the heart away... To the pit, where it would forever be without God's presence. Many of these hearts were creatures such as you, and through no fault of their own, had they been thrown down, like so much refuse. After a time their weight weighed upon me, and so it was that when Helel began his rebellion, I sided with him, in the vain thought that I could amend God's Decrees to be more fair. He stares at Yuri blankly. But we know how that effort ended... So here I stand now, within the very pit to which I had caste so many hearts before me. He looks around the large stone interior. I built The Kindgom to house them... He looks to Yuri. But to keep this place safe, I require soldiers. Hunters. People of your talents. Who despise demons that have robbed them of a fate in paradise. A city of souls attracts the hunger of demonic legions, and even I cannot keep them all out. So when you die, instead of being caste to whatever pit my brothers judge of you, you will brought here, to be with me, and all the others like you. Yuri: You want people to come down here to your castle when they die and be your security guard for all eternity? He huffs and shakes his head. This has to be a joke... Anduscias: You would guard your countrymen, not me. He turns and steps back towards the throne. The Kingdom is no mere castle. It is a city. A city of the dead. That is what you will be here for. A being such as me requires little protection. He stops and looks back over his shoulder at Yuri. Your brother wished to spend eternity with you, which is why he asked me to consider an audience. Normally I do not speak with Marked who have not freed themselves of their demonic masters... Our meeting is highly unorthodox, even for me, but your brother seems to adore you. He looks ahead and moves towards his throne, sitting down. So an exception was made. Yuri: Nemo still hasn't figured it out... I can't go with you, I can't go with anyone else anymore. Anduscias: That's apparent, isn't it? He leans back. The crux of your problem is the shadow creature, who you are bound to. Even if you wanted to come here, you cannot make that promise. He looks down at Yuri with a bleak expression. Could I break the bond between you and your master? He pauses for a moment, seeming in thought. ...It's possible... But is battle with a creature such as him in my best interest? ...Unlikely... Which is why my contract has one unbreakable clause. He leans forwards. You must free yourself as proof that you are capable. Nemo did it, in a way, along with your help. Perhaps you will be able to succeed as he did. He looks up at the ceiling. ...To "Earn your happy ending", as he put it so eloquently. He looks back to Yuri. Yuri: You still think he's only a creature, just another demon from hell... He backs away from him. Send me back... I'd rather spend whatever time I have left with my brother, not a fallen angel. Anduscias: I do not think we will speak again, Yuri, though I do hope you find your own way, as your brother has. Goodbye. Yuri suddenly opens his eyes. It's late morning at the Motel. He can hear sounds of Shane and Troy talking and packing some things up from the sounds of it. Yuri: He holds his hand up to his face, still laying back in bed, thinking for a moment before he yells out his brother's name. NEMO! Nemo: Yuri's awake! After a moment he lands on the bed next to him. Yuri: He gets out of bed and walks up to his luggage, taking out a shirt to put on. He's obviously mad. ...I thought you were supposed to be smarter than Lucas. Nemo: ...What? He looks at Yuri with confusion, getting off the bed. Did you have a bad trip or something? Yuri: He looks back at him but hears Shane nearby, he lowers his voice. You don't make deals or contracts or pacts with anyone! I thought you would've figured this out already... Nemo: He looks away and frowns a little. ...What was I supposed to do? ...Leave you in there? Yuri: I would've made it out of there eventually. What you did can't be taken back. He walks up to the front door and opens it, stepping outside into the parking lot to check what Shane and Troy are doing. Nemo: It wasn't just for you... He murmurs it to himself as Yuri walks out. Troy: I'll just put it in my van. Shane: It has all our plates so don't drop it. He watches Troy carry a large box away from the trailer towards his van, then looks to Yuri. Finally awake huh? Yuri: Yeah... and I feel shit, like someone left a cinder-block on my chest the entire night. He stretches his shoulder a little. You guys almost done packing? Shane: Yeah we're just about done, already went up to the house to check out if it's ready. There's two boxes sitting outside of the U-Haul trailer. Troy: He walks out of his van. Nemo tell you what we got off your acid trip last night? He folds up a table and puts it into his van. Yuri: He glances back at the motel room before looking back at Troy. I forgot to ask... what happened? Troy: Trent didn't show, something was fucking with the broadcast, but he, or something rather, sent some sound through. It sounded like a recording, like he was talking to someone else. At the end the recording got cut up, we think intentionally, and it said "My body gone, friends saving my body." Nemo said it was Trent's voice that was coming through. We don't really know what it means, we were hoping you'd have an idea. Yuri: No clue what it means... He rubs his forehead a little. You said it sounded like a recording? That's really weird... Troy: Well, in that way I mean that he wasn't talking to us. It sounded like he was talking to someone else. Nemo has the tape if you want to hear it later. He grabs a chair and folds it up. Yuri: He watches him for a moment while he thinks. I'll listen to it later... after we get settled into Odie's place. We leaving soon? Shane: Yeah, and hey, it's not Odie's place anymore. It's my place. He smirks, proud that he's already bought his own house at such a young age. Yuri: Casa de Shane... He shrugs and walks over to start helping them pack. ...works just as well, neither name sounds Mexican. Troy: He grabs the last chair and folds it up. Let's get going, I haven't even seen this "mansion" yet, still need to pick out my room. Shane: He looks at Troy with a little annoyance. Nemo still in the motel room? He looks to the motel. Yuri: He picks up one of the boxes by the van and helps place it down inside Yeah, think he's still in my room. Shane: Hey Nemo! He waits for a moment then runs over to the room, going inside. After a moment he walks back out, calling out to Yuri and Troy. He's not in there! Yuri: He moves one of the boxes to the side to make more room before looking back outside. He's probably looking for the dog again. Shane: He sighs and walks along the rooms to look for Nemo. Troy: He watches Shane for a moment, then looks to Yuri. So what do you think about this town? Yuri: Feels nice... really nice actually. He steps out of the van and looks at him. Does the pancake champion feel any different? Troy: I dunno, don't usually stick around places... Especially boring one-horse towns like this in the middle of no where... But... Well at the festival I saw this girl... There's something about her... He shrugs a little. Yuri: You met a girl? He smiles a little. Who was it? Troy: Elsbeth, the one that was missing. I found her right before the eating contest... Said to call her Ember. He smirks, then it fades. Wait, did I even tell her my name? He puts his hand to his forehead. I can't remember! Yuri: He rolls his eyes a little. You had the whole town cheering your name, I don't think anyone's gonna forget who you are now. Troy: I hope my fatass made an impression then. He smirks again. Yuri: If anything, the impression you left on the bathroom that night will become legend among the janitors here. He looks back towards the motel rooms. Troy: Eh... Heh... Heh heh... Shane: He comes walking back into view after a moment. You guys see him? Yuri: He shakes his head. Did you check the basement? Shane: The what? He looks to the front office, then shakes his head. How the hell did he get out of that room without us seeing him? He turns and walks towards the front office. Yuri: He looks back at Troy. ...Think he teleported? Troy: Yeah, probably. Whenever Nemo wants something bad enough, he just vanishes. He shrugs. I hate it when he does it. Talking to him one minute, he's gone the next... Yuri: He sighs, wondering where he went. Meanwhile... Nemo: He's sitting in the hall, among the tin cans, laying against the wall. seemed mad at me... I think it's the first time he's been mad at me... Did I do the right thing, getting him out of there like that? ...Was I stupid? ...Making the wrong choices again... Fucking everything up... He looks down at the cans, then out the door, which is partially closed, just a sliver of light pouring in. leaving him in the Pesadilla better? He leans back against the wall and looks up at the ceiling. Black: Though his footsteps are normally quiet, he steps over a few leaves outside. It sounds like he's slowly walking around, looking for something. Nemo: His eyes dart to the door. really wish I just knew which choices were the right ones... Living past the five year mark I'd already lived... He slowly gets up, making sure not to make too much noise. exhausting when it isn't pleasant... He smiles a little as he move towards the door and peaks outside. been mad at me before, and we always got along despite that... I can't freak out, he'll come back around, just like when we were kids... He looks around to see if he can see Black. Black: He's outside sniffing the ground as he wanders around, after a minute of circling the area he stops and starts digging at the soft dirt with his big paws. A shiny surface appears under all the dirt, it looks like a tin can. He digs it up and grabs it with his mouth. Nemo: He watches the black wolf a little longer, unsure of what move to make, he doesn't want to scare him off. Black: Unaware of Nemo's presence, he walks off into the surrounding forest, away from the hidden bunker. Nemo: He opens the door and calls out just as the wolf starts to walk off. Black? Black: His ears perk up and he stops, dropping the tin can and turning around. His tail sways back and forth for a second before he realizes who it is. He looks back at him curiously. Nemo: He smiles a little, getting a better view of Black for the first time. ...You're like a real live wolf... He quickly digs into his pocket, pulling out an old bag of chips. ...I have some crumpled up chips... He digs into the bag and pulls out half a chip along with some crumbs. Arbi: Black: The wolf sniffs the air and starts to wag his tail again, knowing he has a treat. Nemo: He slowly takes a step towards him. Good wolf? He holds out his hand farther. Don't bite me, alright? If you bite me I'll metamorphosis and turns all scary, then Shane will scare you off and everyone will have a bad time. He takes another slowly step towards Black. Black: He tilts his head when he starts talking more, remembering an old memory when he asks him not to bite him. Nemo: Good wolf... He takes another slow step towards him. ...If you come home with me I have more treats... More foods... Black: He takes a step towards him, taking another sniff at the chips in his hand. Nemo: They're barbeque... Really good... Better than what's in those cans... Not really... Better for you though, probably... He clears his throat a little. Black: He suddenly grabs the tin can from the ground and runs off about ten yards, stopping and looking back at him. It looks like he wants him to follow. Nemo: You want me to follow you? He puts some of the chips back in the bag, wiping the rest on his pant leg as he quickly follows Black. Black: He starts running again, stopping whenever he gets too far away from Nemo but continuing whenever he gets too close too. He takes him deeper into the surrounding forest, far away from the roads. This goes on for a good ten minutes before he finally slows down near one of the large hills. Nemo: He catches up to the wolf, a little out of breath. He looks back in the direction they came, then continues on, walking towards Black. Black: He walks up the large hill, there doesn't appear to be any trees here but the surroundings ones definitely keep this area secret. As the two of them get closer, Nemo can see a strange rock formation. It looks like a tunnel. Nemo: He slowly follows Black, looking around at the trees before his blue eyes settle on the cave. He whispers to himself. ...This place is pretty cool... Black: He enters the large tunnel but stops only a few yards inside, it looks like the tunnel immediately leads down into a massive hole that one could only climb down from. There's a nearby secure rope that leads down into the darkness. The wolf approaches the edge and drops the tin near it before he moves it with his nose until it rolls off. After a few seconds they can hear it land on what sounds like dirt. Nemo: ...You want me to go down there? He looks at the hole, then to Black. Black: He whimpers quietly as he stares down into the hole. Nemo: He looks around, grabbing the rope after a moment. I went climbing with Shane and Coty at the gym once... He tugs the rope a few times. ...Hopefully this doesn't turn out as disastrous as that did... He starts to slowly climb down into the hole. There's a few nearby ledges by the rocky wall but they're all very small. It starts to get hard to see the deeper Nemo climbs down. Nemo: He takes a deep breath, looking down into the dark. This is... Scarier... When I don't have super strength... He slowly climbs down, being as careful as he can, since he's in the middle of nowhere and no one knows where he is. He reaches the bottom of the rope, which is only about three feet off the ground. He'll need light to see anything down here. Nemo: Well... Here's hoping I don't suffocate... He ignites his hand and looks around, a bluish light filling the area. A skeleton appears from the darkness, its hand only inches away from Nemo's shoe. Though it's just a normal inanimate skeleton, from the looks of it they got their leg stuck in a nearby crevice and never were able to get help. There's a pile of unopened tin cans nearby, it looks like they're just out of reach from his hand. Nemo: He feels his heart sink in his throat when he sees the cans. ...Oh no... He looks to the bones. A closer inspection reveals that there's something under their other hand. It looks like an old photo, though it's covered in dirt and faded out Nemo can see a man standing beside Black in the photo, petting his head. Sovereign Lake can be seen behind them, from the looks of it the picture was taken on the other side of the lake from where Shane's house is. Nemo: He looks up at the top of the pit for a moment, then moves closer and grabs the picture with his non-burning hand. He blows the dust off of it a little to get a better look, staring at the picture for a moment before looking to the skeleton again to see if there's anything else. It doesn't look like there's anything else down here besides the man's old worn out cap, which is sitting a few yards away from the body by the cave wall. Nemo: He stares at the cap silently for a moment, before leaning forward and grabbing it. He looks at it and solemnly wonders about the man. After a moment he looks back to the top and puts out the fire, slowly climbing his way up and out. Black: He's laying down by the ledge staring down into the dark cave. The dark wolf looks sad until he sees Nemo climbing back up. Nemo: His eyes look a little watery. I'm sorry Black... He looks to the side. ...I wish there was something I could do. Black: He sees the cap in his hand and stares at it for a long moment. The dark wolf slowly walks up to Nemo and brushes his cheek against his hand holding it. Nemo: He frowns a little, then pets Black lightly with his other hand. Black joined the party.